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20th Century Dinosaurs... Page 8

Hunting the Papua New Guinea Dinosaur with the M16? Where's The Sport in That?

Papua New Guinea

Above photo by Islands .com."The eastern half of the island of New Guinea - second largest in the world - was divided between Germany (north) and the UK (south) in 1885. The latter area was transferred to Australia in 1902, which occupied the northern portion during World War I and continued to administer the combined areas until independence in 1975.

A nine-year secessionist revolt on the island of Bougainville ended in 1997, after claiming some 20,000 lives."—CIA World Factbook

Police Hunt 'Dinosaur' in PNG

March 12, 2004 - 12:38PM

Reports a live dinosaur had been sighted on a volcanic island of Papua New Guinea prompted the deployment of heavily-armed police in search of the mystery creature.

Villagers in the superstitious island province of East New Britain this week said they fled in terror after seeing a three-metre tall, grey-coloured creature with a head like a dog and a tail like a crocodile.

They said the creature was living among thick green plants in a mosquito-ridden marsh just outside the provincial capital Kokopo, near the devastated town of Rabaul which was buried by a volcanic eruption in 1994.

Kokopo's Mayor Albert Buanga said the dinosaur would make a great a tourist attraction, if it existed.

A government official today confirmed police carrying M-16s and shotguns searched the area but found no trace of the creature.

Eyewitness Christine Samei told reporters she ran for her life after seeing a three-metre tall (10 feet), grey creature with a head like a dog and a tail like a crocodile which was as fat as a 900-litre water tank.

"It's a very huge and ugly looking animal," Samei told local media.

A government official said the villagers had identified the creature from books and movies about dinosaurs.

"They told us it was a dinosaur," the official told AAP.

Although police found no trace of the creature, Senior Sergeant Leuth Nidung warned villagers to take extra precautions when going about their daily business, amid reports it had eaten three dogs.

Villagers were told to report any further sightings immediately to police, who were already organising a more thorough search of the area.

Black magic and other superstitions are common in many parts of PNG's predominantly village-based society.

Each year large numbers of foreigners visit the area to see World War II relics as well as the devastated town of Rabaul - the only urban centre in the world built inside the crater of a giant volcano.

- AAP

Dinosaur-like creature spotted in Papua New Guinea

Ananova: Police in Papua New Guinea have been ordered to search part of a remote island after locals reported seeing a giant dinosaur-like creature roaming the area.

Villagers on the island of New Britain reported seeing a 3m-tall (Approx. 10 feet), grey-coloured animal with a head like a dog and a tail like a crocodile.

One woman said she saw the creature in a marsh just outside the provincial capital Kokopo on the eastern end of New Britain. "I heard the people talking about it and went there to see for myself. Its very huge and ugly looking animal," she said.

A local councillor told The National newspaper that villagers said the creature had been seen by women on several occasions and had reportedly eaten three dogs.

Armed police and villagers carrying bush knives searched the marsh but found no trace of the creature, the newspaper said.

500 Miles Away and 5 Years Earlier Dinosaur-like Reptile Sighted at Lake Murray

December 11, 1999

A DINOSAUR-like reptile has reportedly been seen by villagers in the Lake Murray area recently. Boboa station councillor, Sangame Sangame told The Independent that villagers on two separate occasions saw the creature on December 11 and again on December 12.

Councillor Sangame said that villagers travelling in a canoe saw the reptile wading in shallow water near Boboa, in the first sighting.

He said that a Seventh Day Adventist (SDA) pastor and church elder saw the creature on the second occasion not far from the first sighting.

Mr Sangame said that the animal has a body as long as a dump truck and nearly two metres wide (6.5 feet). It has a long slender tail and a long neck.

The head is shaped like a cow's, has large eyes with sharp teeth as long as fingers.

The reptile walks on two hind legs which are as thick as coconut palm tree trunks. It has two smaller forelegs.

The skin is similar to a crocodile's and has largish triangular scoops on the back. Mr Sangame said that he reported the sightings to the Lake Murray police.

Many people from the savannah grasslands of the South Fly district claim that they have seen large lizards similar to the Komodo dragons of Indonesia.

There have also been reports of large lizards up to 1.7 metres living in tree tops.

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